Uškumgallu- “Self-Titled”

It’s a rare and pleasant experience when I get to introduce the world to a skilled new act. Today Black Metal & Brews is sharing the birth of a new label, Vrasubatlat, and its premiere release in Uškumgallu’s self-titled demo cassette. I’ve been sitting with these songs for a little while now and they have only become more hypnotic over time. With these three songs, Uškumgallu has set out not only a mission statement for its own future, but has declared Vrasubatlat as a tape label that deserves highest attention and regard from its very inception. Join me now as we explore VT-I.

Uškumgallu is a two-piece group that plays with a consistency and intensity born of passion and anguish. Filth, shame, and violence threaten to darken their already bleak form of raw black metal. While the pacing and frantic drumming might hint at a slight punk influence, this is far removed from the blown out repetition that the “black punk” term brings to mind. Instead, Uškumgallu wears the listener down quickly with songs that feel endless despite the tape’s run-time of approximately eleven minutes. It’s degrading and unsettling, yet it’s an experience that humbles the listener into a point of submission, inviting you to come back for more torture.

Flipping the tape over yields a B-side that repeats the experience. While I often find myself skipping through a tape that does this, here it’s worth the second voyage. The production sits somewhere on the larger side of the typical demo sound, courtesy of recording and mixing by Jordan Huston and a skillful mastering job from Andrew Oswald. The formless and wind-like roars, and the huge yet unpolished sound of the guitars all beg attention, offering no solace but delivering satisfaction for the true musical sadists. The decidedly refined approach to this kind of filth leads me to conclude that Uškumgallu will continue to grow, expand, and offer an even more deformed take on black metal with future releases, the next of which the label has already hinted at with a faint tease of “a second release [that will] soon be available from Vrasubatlat.” Brace yourselves, for Uškumgallu has risen to channel misanthropy and pain.

About The Author

Ben

Black Metal & Brews is a website run by Ben. As the curator and author of 99.9% of the content on this site since 2012, Ben's dedication and love of music and finely crafted beer have kept this site running. Ben's other interests include coffee, video games, and spending time with Jareth the cat.